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‘Diabetes can be life-threatening’

CUTTACK: Almost five years ago, a 10-month-old frail, bony and underweight boy named Kunal from a remote village in Dhenkanal district was brought to Cuttack Diabetes Research Foundation (CDRF) here. Doctors at the premier institute found his entire vital parameters okay but he was diagnosed to be suffering from ‘Type-I’ diabetes.

CDRF head Alok Kanungo took Kunal’s case as a challenge and admitted him in his hospital. Inspired by world-wide instances that diabetics are continuing to lead normal and healthy life for over 70 years, Kanungo ensured that Kunal gets adequate insulin throughout his life to endure the disease. The infant started recuperating at CDRF and grew into a healthy and normal boy for over two years until his parents insisted to take him back home.

But within six months of his discharge from the hospital, Kunal died of keto-acidosis, a disease caused by wrong administration of medicine. “We have many children in our State who are suffering from Type-I diabetes but due lack of adequate and proper consultations, many of them are not able to celebrate their fifth birth day,” says Kanungo.

Officially there is over 20 lakh diabetes cases in Orissa and for each known case, there is one unknown case, he asserts.

Since diabetes is a lifetime disease, a patient needs at least five consultations per annum, which means physicians treating diabetes cases in Orissa must provide at least 10 million consultations per year.

But due to an acute shortage of physicians treating diabetes in the State, hardly one million consultations could be provided per year, Kanungo informed.

“It’s a lifetime disease and is hereditary. It affects heart, kidney and nerves, eyes, brain and other vital organs. Since the treatment of this disease is very prolonged, its treatment is bit expensive”, Kanungo pointed out.

“Unfortunately in India, there are only three specialised diabetes centers and the fourth one is coming up in Chandigarh. None of these centers are located in eastern or north-east part of the country”, Kanungo added informing that the CDRF is going to establish a specialised center in Bhubaneswar soon.

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